Theodore willsea



(No Model.)

T. WILLSEA.

DITGHING MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

Phon umugmpher, wmingmn, D, c.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DITCHING- MACHINE.

` SPECIFICATION forming part o Letters Patent No. 358,179, dated February 22, 1887.

Application filed September (i, 1886. Serial No. 212,782. (No model.)

To all whom it may com/'erza- Be it known that I, THEoDoRE WILLsEA, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rochester. in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Ditching-Machine, of which the fol-l lowing is a speciication.

My invention relates to improvements in ditching-machines or ditching-plows; and the object is to construct a machine of the class named to make and clean out ditches and dead furrows in arable lands to any desired depth and width, and either before or after sowing or planting. In furtherance of this object I propose to simplify and improve the construction of t-he ditching-machine shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States of America, No. 301,034, dated June 24, 1884, granted to me. In the present machine, excepting the differences shown and described herein, I use a plow of the same general construction as that described in the said Letters Patent, and also support and adjust the forward end of the plow by the same character of mechanism described therein.

My present improvements are intended to simplify the means for supporting and adjusting the rear end of the plow, and they consist in the novel construction of parts and their combination, as will be `hereinbefore fully described, and specially as the same are pointed out inthe claims made hereto, as required by the statute.

I have fully illustrated my improved ditching-machine in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the rear part of the tongue with the spring-latch and the gear or ratchet on the axle, and Fig. 3 is a detail View of the hand-lever on the axle and the parts in connection therewith. These illustrations in Figs. 2 and 3 are shown on a larger scale than the same parts in Fig. l.

In the drawings the same parts are designated by the same notations, and reference being had thereto, the letter A designates the double mold-board ditching-plow, having the wings inclined from top to bottom outward and secured at the point of intersection by .means of a metal shield, 1. To this shield may be secured any desired cutting-point or out the rod striking the ends of the slot.

ofthe machine, or during its progress in the l furrows.

The letter B designates the wheels carrying the crank-axle C. The rear end of the plow is supported by the axle by means of boxes 4, arranged over the axle and secured to the edges of the mold-boards of the plow. This connection admits the crank of the axle to be moved from a vertical to an inclined position,

and thus lift or lower the rear end of the plow.

The means for effecting this adjustment will be hereinafter described.

The letter D designates' the tongue. The rear end ofthe tongue has a groove, 5, cut across it to take the axle, and is secured to the axle bya strap, 6, so that while the end is supported by the axle the axle is free to turn in the seat formed by the groove and strap.

To the tongue is secured a substantial crosspiece, 7, and side pieces, 8, are secured to the tongue and cross-pieces and have their rear end extended back of the cross piece and loosely clipped to the axle, as seen at b. The tongue is thus braced and supported by the axle. In the tongue is a longitudinally-arranged slot, 9, so disposed in relation to the point of the plow that the suspension-rod can be connected to the inner face of the anglepoint in the plow, and permit a limited backward and forward movement of the plow with- On the tongue is the standard 10, braced, as shown,

in vertical position,and to the upper end ofthe IOO raised and lowered by the lever, and may be set at any desired position by means ot' the latch engaging the teeth of the segment.

On the axle, arranged on each side of the projecting end of the tongue, are two gear or ratchet wheels, 1G and 17, which are rigidly xed to the axle by keys or other proper means. To the side ot' the tongue is secured a latchbar, 18, disposed in bearings 19 and 20 on the tongue, and `about the latch-bar, between its bearings, is arranged a coil-spring, 21, which is arranged to throw the bar in engagement with the gearl on the axle, the latch-bar being formed with a Setoff, 22, for this purpose, and from the outer end of the set-off is extended the handgrasp piece 23. On the other side ofthe tongue is the hand-lever24, having its lower end secured to the axle to loosely turn thereon, and having fixed to its side the pawl-latch 25, the lower end of which engages with the gear 17 on the axle.

It will be seen from the foregoing that upon pushing the latch-bar 18 from engagement with the teeth ofthe gear 16, the arms of the axle may be thrown from a vertical direction to any desired incline, which, being attained, the latch-bar is let free, and the set-off' being forced in the gear, the axle is held on aset position. The result is that the rear of the plow is raised or lowered at discretion by the lever, and is held in a set position by the latch-bar in the gear.

By means ofthe lever on the nprightof the tongue the forward end of the plow may be raised and lowered. Its uses, being the same,

are specially mentioned in my former Letters Patent hereinbet'ore cited.

W'hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the crank-axle provided with a gear or ratchet wheel and the plow suspended from the axle by bearings on its wings at the rear, of a tongue having the rear ends of its braces loosely clipped to the axle and provided with a latch-bar held in bearings on the side of the tongue and formed to engage the teeth of the gearwheel,whereby the rear end of the plow is held in a set position, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the crank-axle,

the plow carried under the crankaxle on bearings secured to the rear part of the wings of the plow, and the tongue having its braces and rear end liournaled to the axle, ot' alatchbar secured to theside of the tongue to engage with a fixed gear on the axle and a hand-lever having its lower end loosely {ixed on the axle to turn about the saine, and provided with a pawl-latch to engage a iixed gear on the axle, whereby the axle may be turned and the plow set, substantially as described.

The combination, with the carrying-carriage and the plow carried on bearings on the axle, of a brace and standing board, 2, secured between the rear 'ends ofthe wings ot' the plow, near the lower edges of the wings, substantially as described.

, ln witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

THEODOR-E VVILLSEA.

Attest:

WILLIAM H. Rossrrnu, GEORGE SIMPSON. 

